statement of position on lgbtq inclusiveness
With a desire to show Christ's love, we as CMC commit to be a welcoming church community. We understand this to mean that regardless of innate sexual orientation and gender identity, God's gift of physical sexual expression is available to all, and we embrace everyone who wants to be a part of the body of Christ. This can be expressed through attending worship, participating in programs and activities, becoming a member and taking active leadership roles. We commit to encouraging all within our community to uphold and aspire to the Biblical call to faithfulness, self-discipline, mutual respect and life-long covenant in sexual relationships.
As members of the Church, we regret the hurt that we have caused LGBTQ individuals and families through active discrimination, passive complicity and judging same-sex relationships as sinful. Going forward, we intend to engage respectfully with LGBTQ persons, Mennonite Church conference bodies, its institutions, and congregations, and the greater Canadian Mennonite community.
